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Life Transformation
One Man’s Story
Jason
For years, Jason lived a life of crime. Sex and money were among the gods that he served. One day, he came to the realization that he hated the man he had become. He left everything he owned and everyone he knew, and started traveling the east coast of America.
He had no destination in mind; he just bounced from city to city. He left home with $400 in his pocket, but that quickly dwindled. He found himself homeless and helpless in Jacksonville, Florida. In desperation, he went to the first church he could find for help. The pastor prayed with him, gave him a little money for food, and invited him to come back for the service in the morning.
It was a big church, and Jason was surprised to hear the pastor mention him in the sermon. After the service, the pastor gave him a little more money and said goodbye. The parking lot was busy with cars leaving the church, so he dropped his bags and sat on the curb. A van pulled up along side of him, and some guys asked him if he wanted to come eat lunch with them.
Jason tells it like this: "There I was - sitting among a group of Christians at Teen Challenge. They fed me and invited me to go to church with them for a rally. That rally set the stage that changed my life. I watched a team of men and women who were full of joy and happiness sing praise and worship songs to God. They also started giving testimonies. I was dumbfounded when they started talking about where they had come from and how far God had brought them. I knew that I wanted what they had."
That was the beginning of his journey into Teen Challenge. After one week in the program, the pastor at church gave an invitation for those who wanted a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jason responded, and that day he asked Jesus to come into his life and be his Lord and Savior.
"Now my focus is on doing God's will. Jesus is the leader of my life. He is taking me places that I could never have imagined. He is helping me change my desires and restore my relationships. He continues to bless me every day. Being a Christian is not always easy. However, God has never let me down."
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